How can you evaluate program effectiveness with a small team?

In my experience as a program manager with a small team, evaluating program effectiveness involves a focused approach: First, it's crucial to set clear objectives that everyone understands. We identified specific, measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) related to our program goals, ensuring everyone was on the same page. Regular check-ins and progress tracking were vital in our small team, providing a close eye on milestones and enabling quick adjustments. We encouraged open communication for feedback, both within the team and from stakeholders. Periodic quality assessments ensured our deliverables met the required standards. Resource utilization was closely monitored, and we celebrated even small successes to maintain team morale.

To sum up, we must have clear goals and objectives aligned with the Organization Strategic Plan broken down by OKRs and KPIs in all the Organization Layers. We have to make sure that the Program is aligned with it and team and all the stakeholders are aware of it.

Adaptability and Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of adaptability within the small team. Encourage open communication and a willingness to adjust strategies based on data and feedback. Implement a cycle of continuous improvement. Regularly review the program's effectiveness and make adjustments as needed.

Establish Baseline Metrics: Before implementing the program, establish baseline metrics for each identified KPI. This provides a reference point for evaluating changes and improvements. Regular Monitoring and Data Collection: Implement a systematic approach to monitoring and collecting data. Regularly track progress against your established KPIs. Leverage technology and tools to streamline data collection, especially if you have limited resources.

🎯 To effectively evaluate program effectiveness with a small team, I'd emphasize the need for precision and focus. As Jim Collins states in "Good to Great," "The good-to-great companies made as much use of 'stop doing' lists as 'to do' lists." Applying this, it's crucial to prioritize tasks that directly impact outcomes. Start by setting clear, specific program goals. Choose evaluation methods like logic models or results frameworks that align with these goals. Involve your team in creating a comprehensive evaluation plan, ensuring everyone's on board. Please keep an eye on progress and adjust as needed. Remember, ongoing learning is key to refining your approach. 📈🤝

Regardless of whether you use waterfall or agile, it is important to define details linked to the program/project/product that will be delivered. It is important to involve key people to collect requirements correctly.

I agree that data and focus groups should be part of goal construction. Another, important element should be well developed benchmarks at the 50th, 24th and 10th percentile tracking cost, utilization and more emphasis on outcomes. Example of best in class: C-section rates <15%, diabetes with HbA1C >9 rates <5%, generic use rate >90%, infertility eSet only and list goes on. Outcome and a journey to best in class should our “picture of program effectiveness”. Our mantra should be “better outcomes = lower costs”.

Before choosing an evaluation method or tool, it is essential to understand where the program is placed in the entire value chain. I'd like to elaborate a bit; for example, you are delivering a large SAAS solution for the HR function as a part of the program outcome. It is easy to keep the metrics focused on the first-level stakeholders such as time, schedule, system performance, etc... But, your stakeholders in HR functions intend to make a positive impact in the value chain - like improving turnaround time to the employee, higher employee satisfaction score, better onboarding experience, etc. The Classic Quality Function Deployment can build this linkage during the program's start.

We are a team of 4 with no Director. Although we have individual projects, we have Departmental projects which consists of training materials, workshops, and website development. For these projects we insert all data collection, tasks, and material, in Microsoft Planner. When we have our weekly Teams meeting, we update our Planner collectively. Planner has a neat feature that tracks progress throughout time. As long as we include start and deadlines dates, the app tracks everything for us. This tool and method are a positive impact on a growing Department. We continue on with development and progress while awaiting on a new Director. Thanks to Planner, we are also able to prove our teamwork with the data it collects for us.

When considering methods and tools - it is important to again engage the stakeholders. They are the expected consumers of the information. As researchers and evaluators, we have a bevy of options to bring to the table - the stakeholders are limited by what they consider to be their sources of truth. These are those methods they consider acceptable and applicable to their culture (be it organizational or communal). Further, the sources of data are also defined by this culture. Without understanding the what information, from whom, and how collected, analyzed, ad reported is acceptable to your stakeholders, you risk producing content that goes unheeded and reducing the probability to evaluation will be used in the future.

Since it's a small team, alignment of work plans across all supporting teams (beyond M&E teams) would be critical. So it's advisable to do a joint workplan

As a service leader, effective planning of evaluation activities and timelines is crucial, especially with a small team. We utilize tools like Gantt charts and project management software to meticulously organize and track each evaluation task. For instance, a well-planned approach involves assigning specific team members to data collection and analysis, ensuring we have the necessary resources and skills within our timelines. On the flip side, a poorly planned evaluation, such as setting unrealistic timelines or unclear task assignments, can lead to rushed, inaccurate assessments and team burnout. Careful planning ensures we efficiently evaluate program effectiveness without overextending our resources.

This is a good time to use PERT - Planned Evaluation Review Technique, a tool to map out your plan, the time needed for various tasks and activities, and critical points along the way that must be completed to move forward - all with the intent of reaching a destination. Being old school, we learned this manually, but I expect there are programs that can do it for you.

A well Planned Project is half done successfully. Each and every activity should be planned to ensure the teams are not missing anything. WBS is a simple and effective solution for planning.

When planning evaluation activities and timelines for a project, start by establishing clear evaluation objectives aligned with project goals. Create a comprehensive evaluation plan outlining the specific activities, methods, and tools to be used at different project stages. Develop a realistic timeline that includes regular evaluation checkpoints to assess milestones and adjust strategies as needed. Allocate resources appropriately, including budget and personnel, to support effective evaluation. Maintain flexibility in the timeline to accommodate unforeseen challenges and changes. Regularly communicate evaluation progress to keep stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the project.

Involving stakeholders in designing the evaluation metrics can help uncover alternate measurement criteria - ones that you may have overlooked. This simple inclusion, therefore, can help the program go so much further. (views are personal)

Involving the team, stakeholders, and key individuals in program evaluation is essential. This ensures gathering input and insights on the program's impact and its effects on beneficiaries. The evaluation team assesses activities in line with goals, objectives, outputs, and outcomes to gauge the program's success effectively.

If you use online survey tools, be sure to set the start and end dates for feedback collection as well as prompt participants if they haven't provided their input at least half way thru the timeline.

When designing a program, I gave the overall objectives and then let the team design the best method, for this is where your best assets are: in the minds and experiences of your people. Guide them along the way to your desired results, but let them do the heavy lifting and they will always impress you with novel approaches.

Preparing a stakeholder chart with RACI will ensure control over the program. The teams would know who to reach out to,when to reach out to a particular stakeholder.

It's important to do so with purpose and intentionality. In addition, it's essential to recognize and celebrate the strengths and accomplishments of those being evaluated. However, it's also important to confront challenges head-on and develop strategies to increase resilience in the face of adversity. When communicating the results of evaluations to stakeholders, it's crucial to do so strategically, highlighting the positive impact of the evaluated team or project. By transforming evaluations into a compelling narrative that advocates for ongoing support, you can ensure that your team receives the resources they need to continue succeeding.

In my experience as a program lead, what I have been able to do is to use evaluation results to make program decisions. This has helped to facilitate a deeper understanding, enabling the identification of mistakes, recognizing successes, and discovering elements that can be adapted and replicated for future programs.

You need to make sure your results are evaluated based on the metrics that were set for the program. I have seen other teams devolve into chaos because the results of the evaluations do not align with the set metrics. They tend to change the metrics, but the product is usually poorly received by the market because it did not meet the metrics that were chosen for market position.

This is one of the most important things data should be used for. I can't emphasize this enough. I have seen organizations have to close their doors, because they do not use the data, don't understand the importance of evaluation results to inform programming.

Always keep in mind that many potentials can arise from every situation. Thus, we must be open to changing our strategies and assessments in most of our projects. Sometimes, it might seem like a trial and error, but this is part of the evaluation process. Nevertheless, we must still focus on how we can achieve the targets and ensure that we align with the objectives.

Always keep in mind that many potentials can arise from every situation. Thus, we must be open to changing our strategies and assessments in most of our projects. Sometimes, it might seem like a trial and error, but this is part of the evaluation process. Nevertheless, we must still focus on how we can achieve the targets and ensure that we align with the objectives.

Evaluating program effectiveness with a small team requires a thoughtful and focused approach. Here are some strategies tailored for a small team setting: Define Clear Objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Align Metrics with Business Goals Regularly Track and Review Progress Gather Qualitative Feedback Use Agile Methodologies Prioritize High-Impact Activities Employee Surveys and Engagement Benchmark Against Industry Standards Celebrate Small Wins Continuous Learning and Improvement By combining quantitative metrics, qualitative feedback, and a focus on continuous improvement, small teams can effectively evaluate program effectiveness and make informed decisions to drive success.

For effective program evaluation in a small team, initiate with a pilot phase, use technology for data automation, and focus on deriving actionable insights. Encourage feedback, foster cross-functional collaboration, and balance quantitative with qualitative data. Ensure ethical practices, maintain flexible evaluation designs, and regularly update the evaluation strategy. Sharing successes, learning from lessons, and benchmarking against industry standards are also essential. This approach ensures comprehensive, dynamic, and informed program management.

While using all the techniques and methods above are tested and tried, one additional item is that learning and improving knowledge is not just gained from pier groups. Reverse mentoring from from newly qualified professionals has recently become invaluable. With the world of AI this group are is the litmus test of the success of a programme.

Don't be surprised if you find that your program reveals something you didn't expect, and be prepared to act accordingly. Many a project I undertook did not turn out as expected, and disproving something is often as valuable as proving it.

The best is to understand the team capacity as they r being responded to a action and skill to evaluate . once they fully understand the purpose then they will evaluate the effectiveness.